Concise Law Dictionary by V.R. Monoher'Writ' means "a written commend, precept, or formal order issued by a court , directing or enjoying the person or persons to whom it is a addressed to do or refrain from doing some act specified therein."

Juridical Dictionary of words and phrases.(vol. iv)A writ is aprocess by which civil proceeding in High Court are generally commenced. There are many other kinds of writ, i.e. writ of execution, writ of error, writ for the election of a member of parliament etcissued in the name of the reigning monarch, for the doing, or not doing of some act or thing.

Collins Cobuild English Dictionary writ writs A writ is a legal document that orders a person to do a particular thing.He issued a writ against one of his accusers.Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary1 : something written : WRITING --- Sacred Writ2 a : a formal written document specifically : a legal instrument in epistolary form issued under seal in the name of the English monarch b : an order or mandatory process in writing issued in the name of the sovereign or of a court or judicial officer commanding the person to whom it is directed to perform or refrain from performing an act specified therein --- writ of detinue --- writ of entry --- writ of executionc : the power and authority of the issuer of such a written order ? usually used with run outside the United States where?our writ does not run ? Dean AchesonConcise Oxford English DictionarywritMEANING 1 noun a form of written command in the name of a court or other legal authority to do or abstain from doing a specified act. (one's writ) one's power to enforce compliance or submission. archaic a piece or body of writing.Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionarywritnoun ~ (for sth) (against sb) a legal document from a court of law telling sb to do or not to do sth:The company has been served with a writ for breach of contract. * We fully intend to issue a writ against the newspaper.see also HOLY WRIT.Britannica Concise EncyclopediawritIn common law, an order issued in the name of a sovereign or court commanding a person to perform or refrain from performing a specified act.It was a vital official instrument in Old English law. A plaintiff would commence a suit by choosing the proper form of action and obtaining a writ appropriate to the remedy sought; its issuance forced the defendant to comply or to appear in court. Writs were also constantly in use for financial and political purposes of government. Though the writ no longer governs civil pleading and has lost many of its applications, the extraordinary writs, especially of habeas corpus, mandamus (commanding the performance of a ministerial act), prohibition (commanding an inferior court to stay within its jurisdiction), and certiorari, reflect its historical importance as an instrument of judicial authority.